#230 Live from ILA 2026: MRO - The Backbone of Aviation

MRO – The Backbone of Aviation

On June 10, 2026 (14:00–14:45 CEST, Berlin) at the ILA STAGE
AVIATION, Hall C, we brought a critical but often overlooked
reality into the spotlight:

Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) is the true backbone of
aviation.

️ Five years in development – six months in production – 30 years
in operation.

MRO keeps the world flying.

This high-level panel brings together leading voices from
airline, MRO, OEM, and research to reveal why MRO is far more
than maintenance — and why it defines availability,
competitiveness, and the future of aviation.

️ Speakers:
• Heiko Holm – Managing Director, Chief Technical Officer &
Condor Technik: Managing Director, Condor Airlines
• Harald Gloy – Chief Operations Officer, Lufthansa Technik
AG
• Dr. Ottmar Pfänder – Executive Vice President of Programs,
Defense and MRO, MTU Aero Engines AG
• Andreas Mayer – Head of Conversion and Maintenance, Elbe
Flugzeugwerke GmbH
• Dr. Markus Fischer – Divisional Board Member for Aeronautics,
DLR

Host: Ilkay Özkisaoglu

Three key themes:

1. Availability & lifecycle thinking – Why ~99% readiness is
non-negotiable

2. Germany as an MRO powerhouse – Industrial strength, talent,
and >$100bn market scale

3. High-tech MRO – Predictive maintenance, digital twins, P2F
conversions, innovation

This panel reveals what usually stays invisible — the system that
actually makes aviation work.

Join us live on tape from ILA 2026 Berlin – press participate for
your online free seat on 29 June 2026
This is not a standard panel. This is where industry reality
meets future direction.

Official ILA panel link:
https://www.ila-berlin.de/de/ila-stages#eventdate--MRO---The-Backbone-of-Aviation--2ea8a4a6-086d-49b6-90ff-c190fa71f0f1


YouTube Episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH6DkEPM9Cc&feature=youtu.be